The new primocane-fruiting raspberry cultivar designated ‘Pacific Gema’ is shown herein. Botanically known as Rubus idaeus L., ‘Pacific Gema’ is a primocane-fruiting raspberry resulting from a hand-pollinated cross of female parent ‘Pacific Deluxe’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,074), a previous release from the same program, and the unpatented male parent ‘414a’. Pollination occurred in April 2008 and seeds from this controlled cross were subsequently harvested, cleaned, germinated, and field-established as seedlings in spring 2009 in Santa Cruz County, Calif.
‘Pacific Gema’ was first identified in the aforementioned seedling field in May 2010 in Watsonville, Calif. This variety was first propagated asexually by crown division in autumn 2010 in Watsonville, Calif. USA. The crown on the original plant was dug and parted into basal cane pieces (approximately 15 cm long) with root attached and replanted into a selection plot elsewhere on the farm, resulting in a 3-fold increase in plant material. Harvest and postharvest data were collected from this larger plot of ‘Pacific Gema’ throughout 2011,
In January 2012, two actively growing etiolated shoots that were forced from roots in a greenhouse were sent to Lafayette, Oreg., USA, where vegetative material was explanted and established in vitro for micropropagation. Subsequent asexual propagation was done on-site in Watsonville, Calif. and, along with tissue-cultured plantlets, ‘Pacific Gema’ was evaluated extensively over the next several years for performance and genetic stability.
The present cultivar, ‘Pacific Gema’ offers many advantages over the existing, patented cultivar and maternal parent, ‘Pacific Deluxe’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,074) in that the root and subsequent cane vigor is significantly greater, floricane budbreak is more uniform, average fruit size is larger and more conic in shape. The increased vigor offers advantages in propagation, particularly in a nursery setting where roots are produced for sale to commercial growers. The improved floricane budbreak provides growers with a more reliable spring crop. The larger berries help growers fill baskets more quickly, leading to increased harvest efficiency.
A second example of an existing, patented cultivar is ‘Pacific Majesty’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,593, another previous release from the same program. The present cultivar, ‘Pacific Gema’ has superior flavor/aroma and higher field tolerance of Raspberry Bushy Dwarf Virus (RBDV) compared with ‘Pacific Majesty’.
A third example of an existing, patented cultivar is ‘Rafzaqu’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,512 (aka Himbo Top®). The present cultivar, ‘Pacific Gema’ has firmer fruit and more berries per inflorescense compared with ‘Rafzaqu’, though both are of similar height.
Thus, these characteristics help define ‘Pacific Gema’ as a new and distinct cultivar of primocane-fruiting raspberry. ‘Pacific Gema’ may be recognized by its high vigor, uniform floricane budbreak, tall canes which are architecturally laden with conic berries and which consistently taste sweet and have a glossy appearance